When I was asked to write a 2,000-word history essay for my architecture degree, I waited to the last week to act. I decided to set all my other tasks aside so I could wholly focus on the essay. I locked myself in my room, and yet for the first six days I only wrote 100 words each day.I was an English major in undergrad prone to coming up with the oddest topics I could for term papers. I think I wrote every one of them -- the last one was a comparison of suburban planning theory ca. 1950, social hygiene films from around the same era, and Brave New World -- between the hours of midnight and 9 AM (the "didn't go to sleep yet" 9 AM, mind you) fueled by little more than red bull, cigarettes and the feeling of impending doom.
Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.posted by Happy Dave at 9:42 AM on August 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
I started up the Stirling University Procrastination Society in 1980. It was a resounding success. Not one person bothered to return their registration form on time and we never got round to holding any meetings. Well done us. Yay! JohnB, BerkshireThe article that preceded this one is mostly garden-variety handwringing about why we all procrastinate, but with some gratuitous modern-day updating of Hamlet mixed in:
Procrastination is the student's curse, as the student prince, Hamlet, knew only too well. What are university libraries for, if not for staring into space, gazing at sexy peers, logging on to iTunes and planning your evening's drinking?The image of Hamlet rocking out on his earbuds to angsty music while flirting with Ophelia is odd indeed.
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posted by benito.strauss at 9:24 AM on August 30, 2012 [4 favorites]